IF you weren’t on the edge of your seat Saturday afternoon, you were obviously not watching Pakistan slug it out with South Africa. Which would be a pity, for there have been few better contests in this World Cup or even otherwise.

If you read the scorebook, Pakistan’s margin of victory — 29 runs — might suggest a fairly easy ride home. But nothing could be more misleading. There were bumps and obstacles galore for Misbah-ul-Haq’s team to surmount, none more daunting than A.B. de Villiers.

Not till the South Africa captain was ninth out, making a rare mistake with his patent dance-down-the-wicket pull shot could Pakistan — or anybody else — believe that South Africa would lose the match, so resourceful and in control had he looked.

I don’t think there is any vestige of doubt remaining that de Villiers is the best batsman in the world currently. Soon, his bat might earn as much fame as King Arthur’s sword Excalibur in the way he torments and slays opponents.

And yet, despite de Villiers’ masterful batting which sees him perched at the top of the run-getters list in this World Cup, South Africa have lost two crucial matches (the first one against India) suggesting that the team, arguably the richest in terms of talent, is still highly vulnerable to pressure.

Like India on Friday against the West Indies, South Africa’s top order made a hash of chasing a modest target through misplaced aggro and impetuous strokes. But unlike India, who were salvaged by Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s cool resolve, South Africa could not get over the line despite de Villier’s genius.

With a batsman of the calibre of J.P. Duminy at 7, there is a tendency for the top order to be adventurous. But that should be less worrying for de Villiers than the fragility in temperament of his players — batsmen and bowlers. When the going gets tough, they seem to become brittle.

For all his brilliance as batsman, de Villiers has also not distinguished himself as captain. The tactics seem to be set pieces decided before a match, rather than dynamic decision making, which is what separates captaincy in cricket from any other sport.

In contrast, Misbah-ul-Haq has led his team with determination and more innovative strategies than most captains seen in this tournament. For some reason that I have not been able to fathom, he has come under huge flak needlessly, especially from ex-players in his country, but he takes it stoically. Some day when he writes a tell-all autobiography, maybe we will know what was going on through his mind.

In my opinion, Misbah’s phlegmatic demeanour actually conceals controlled aggression, both when he is batting and leading in the field. In match after match he has held the innings together, unconcerned of the criticism about his strike rate, and is now among the top run-getters in the tournament.

The logic in his approach is sound: if he gets some runs, at whatever pace, his side has a chance, as was evidence against Zimbabwe and South Africa. There are no theatrics to his batting, no playing to the gallery. Every now and then you can see him grind his jaws to dig deep into his resolve. That’s it.

More importantly, Misbah appears to have assessed the limitations of his team correctly. He obviously does not have the imperious and inspiring persona of Imran Khan, but has still managed to coax the best out of his players — especially the bowlers — in tight situations without fuss or tantrum.

How far Pakistan can go in this tournament depends a great deal on Misbah, as batsman and captain. He may be understated, but should not be underestimated. There are some interesting signs of a turnaround emerging, as had happened in 1992.

A title win is still far, far off of course. The batting is still very wobbly and fielding remains below par. But after a disastrous start, Pakistan have made an impressive comeback by playing to their strengths and — finally — working out the right combination.

It must seem daft now that a specialist wicket-keeper and brilliant strokeplayer on the reserves bench for so long. As Star Sports anchor Manish Batavia tweeted, “Man of the match award to whoever convinced Pakistan to play Sarfraz Ahmed!’’

Said in jest, but what could be more serious!

The writer is a former sports editor of Times of India and a leading cricket analyst

Published in Dawn March 8th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play